CURVES AHEAD: The flowing, sculptural lines and generous proportions of the Dune daybed and lounger (ottoman), designed by Vladimir Kagan for Barlow Tyrie, make it ideal for an afternoon nap or cuddle. Crafted from weatherproof resin fiber hand-woven over a powder-coated aluminum frame, it's available as shown in natural straw for around $4,000 (both pieces, including cushions).

FOUR-POSTER: Here's the ultimate in cocooning with a hammock designed by Olivier Le Pensec and inspired by the relaxing surroundings in his native southern France. Its varnished frame is Taukkyan hardwood from Thailand (available in cappuccino, as shown, or white) with exposed polished stainless steel that resists rust. Suggested retail is $19,500; expect to wait eight weeks plus shipping time for the pieces, which are handcrafted in Belgium. The curtain set, a polyester-linen blend, and throw pillows are available separately, all from Henry Hall Designs.

COLONIAL INFLUENCE: The Anassa collection from Gloster Furniture reflects an updated British colonial style with its curved arms, louvered panels, shapely legs, synthetic cane sides and squared, brass-capped toes. The plantation teak is hand-rubbed to release its natural oil. The chair sells for $3,470 each, cushion included. The round table is approximately $3,300. Throw pillows shown are sold separately for about $150 each.

The concept of the outdoor room appears to be growing on more homeowners, and furniture manufacturers.

Designer and television host Joe Ruggiero regards the outdoor room as “the new frontier,” a merging of indoor and outdoor styles. The ambience is fueled by increasingly sophisticated consumers who already have designed kitchens modeled after ones they have seen on European vacations and baths inspired by spas and boutique hotels.

That desire to recreate memorable travel experiences has nurtured a desire for great-looking furnishings in a lush garden context.

“From a sociological point of view, expectations we have for our way of life are so much higher now,” says Chicago-based designer Jane Hamley Wells, whose company represents contemporary European lines as well as her own. For many Americans, she says, “Basic needs have been met. Our household income has doubled over the last 30 years. People are more willing to spend money on things that make them feel well and look well. They are not compromising on their outdoor environments.”

Whether it’s a “chat pit,” the new buzzword for seating around a fire pit, or erecting a pavilion, consumers are expanding their shopping lists for leisure furnishings.

More than ever, comfort reigns. Seating is more akin to your favorite cozy sofas and chairs indoors in family rooms, but with fills that can take a downpour. Also look for plump cushions, decorative pillows and outdoor-safe throws.

Creating a hearth has been identified by the American Society of Landscape Architects as a top trend for outdoor entertaining in 2007. A survey last year by the American Home Furnishings Alliance, the largest association of home furnishings companies in the world, indicates Americans most want to add a fire pit (with wells for firewood or fueled by propane or natural gas) or gazebo to their porches, patios or decks.

Toys include outdoor plasma or LCD TVs and the furniture to house them. As part of its cottage-style Coastal Classics collection, Laneventure introduced an outdoor curio cabinet with decorative mesh- paneled doors that conceal a popup mechanism for a TV, which slickly raises and lowers from the back. Made of cypress, the cabinet sells for $6,149. Rounding out the homey look are accessories such as weatherproof art to hang on walls.

Of course, storage is not neglected. It’s just more stylish. For example, consoles, chests and armoires are upstaging clunky trunk-like pieces that once offered the only options for stashing cushions.

These and other ideas are found in new mail-order catalogs that sell outdoor furnishings. Last year, Home Depot Direct launched Outdoor Living, targeted to consumers with incomes of at least $75,000. The company also introduced “10 Crescent Lane,” aimed at consumers with incomes of more than $225,000. Restoration Hardware has its own outdoor catalog, as do Frontgate and Smith & Hawken.

Last summer, simple-to-assemble metal frames that could be dressed with hanging plants, vines or curtains were available from Target, Home Depot and Smith & Hawken, ranging in price into the thousands of dollars.

There also are a host of canopied daybeds for one or two people designed with cocooning in mind for smaller spaces.

All the exposure has alerted consumers, who continue to be impressed that good looks can be combined with function and wearability outdoors.Besides synthetic wovens in unexpected hues, such as bright blue and lime, with curvy backs that hug the body, Wells offers a handsome three-tiered cart on casters in teak and stainless steel with built-in holders for wine and glasses. There’s an outdoor shower, a beautifully crafted slab of teak with an artfully placed showerhead that stands like a sculpture.

San Francisco-based Henry Hall Designs introduced a sleek woven chaise that tucks storage beneath its adjustable cushion. And it takes the hammock to unprecedented heights with a magnificent stand-alone, metal-accented wood frame and a pillow-bedecked hammock that can be enveloped with curtains.

The importance of producing stylish outdoor furnishings is not lost on manufacturers with a reputation for high quality. London-based Barlow Tyrie, especially known for high-end teak, tapped celebrated designer Vladimir Kagan to do his first outdoor collection.Outdoor styles correlate to just about every one you’ll find inside the home, from Arts and Crafts, with metal translations of characteristic oak, to Eastern. California-based designer Richard Frinier, known for his classic style and use of materials, followed up a Japanese-inspired collection called Kyoto with a Chinese Chippendale collection called Orient, both for Century Furniture. Typical fretwork and lattice define the generously scaled, oval-backed lounge chair interpreted in PVC-coated aluminum cast from real bamboo and finished in faux tortoise shell.

Maitland-Smith, a furniture company new to outdoor designs, translated the richness of Spanish colonial style with highly carved consoles, tables and seating you’d never guess were weather-resistant.

Some manufacturers, such as Fire Stone Home Products, have come up with a one-stop shopping idea. Its package is called the Outdoor Great Room and can include a fireplace, grills, lanterns and furnishings, all under a pergola, creating an instant setting for customization.

With a landscaped backdrop, the vacation spot at home has it all: a place to snuggle, grill, dine, entertain and relax under the sun or moon.

Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com.